<a>MANHATTAN, Kan.</a>&nbsp;–&nbsp;Officials are suggesting that K-State football fans driving to Manhattan from the south or west who typically use I-70 through Junction City use an alternate route to avoid construction through a 7-mile stretch that resulted in near standstill gameday traffic last week.

A pavement replacement project is underway between Exit 295 on the west and mile marker 302 on the east of Junction City. The passing lanes in each direction are currently closed to allow for crossover construction. It is expected in the next week that traffic will be redirected to head-to-head on one side of I-70 as the project continues.

Fans experienced as much as an hour delay during peak gameday travel prior to last week’s game versus SEMO. Therefore, officials with the Kansas Department of Transportation are suggesting fans traveling from the south on US-77 continue past the Junction City exit and stay on US-77 north through Riley, where US-77 merges into US-24. At the junction of Tuttle Creek Boulevard, turn south toward Manhattan, where fans can get to the stadium by either exiting at Seth Child Road on the west or staying on Tuttle Creek Boulevard to Marlatt or Kimball avenues on the east.

Fans driving from the west on I-70 could follow the same route by exiting at US-77 prior to reaching the construction in Junction City or exiting at Abilene north onto K-15 to the junction of Highway 82 through Wakefield, then turning north onto US-77 around to Riley.

To avoid potential traffic backups postgame on K-18 leaving Manhattan, officials are suggesting fans consider using K-177 (Bill Snyder Family Highway) or McDowell Creek Road from the east side of the city to access I-70. Those utilizing K-18 should be prepared to reduce their speed and anticipate heavier than normal traffic.

Fans are encouraged to plan ahead and allow for additional travel time, as well as utilize a GPS system for seeking alternative routing.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694096005124.jpeg" alt="Bill Snyder Family Stadium K-State Athletics Photo" />
 <figcaption>Bill Snyder Family Stadium K-State Athletics Photo</figcaption>
 </figure><a>MANHATTAN, Kan.</a>&nbsp;–&nbsp;Officials are suggesting that K-State football fans driving to Manhattan from the south or west who typically use I-70 through Junction City use an alternate route to avoid construction through a 7-mile stretch that resulted in near standstill gameday traffic last week.A pavement replacement project is underway between Exit 295 on the west and mile marker 302 on the east of Junction City. The passing lanes in each direction are currently closed to allow for crossover construction. It is expected in the next week that traffic will be redirected to head-to-head on one side of I-70 as the project continues.Fans experienced as much as an hour delay during peak gameday travel prior to last week’s game versus SEMO. Therefore, officials with the Kansas Department of Transportation are suggesting fans traveling from the south on US-77 continue past the Junction City exit and stay on US-77 north through Riley, where US-77 merges into US-24. At the junction of Tuttle Creek Boulevard, turn south toward Manhattan, where fans can get to the stadium by either exiting at Seth Child Road on the west or staying on Tuttle Creek Boulevard to Marlatt or Kimball avenues on the east.Fans driving from the west on I-70 could follow the same route by exiting at US-77 prior to reaching the construction in Junction City or exiting at Abilene north onto K-15 to the junction of Highway 82 through Wakefield, then turning north onto US-77 around to Riley.To avoid potential traffic backups postgame on K-18 leaving Manhattan, officials are suggesting fans consider using K-177 (Bill Snyder Family Highway) or McDowell Creek Road from the east side of the city to access I-70. Those utilizing K-18 should be prepared to reduce their speed and anticipate heavier than normal traffic.Fans are encouraged to plan ahead and allow for additional travel time, as well as utilize a GPS system for seeking alternative routing.

Alternate route suggested around Junction City construction

BeEtta "Be" Stoney, longtime Kansas State University faculty athletics representative, died Tuesday, Sept. 5.

Stoney served as K-State's faculty athletics representative for 13 years, 2010-2023, and worked closely with K-State Athletics and the Big 12 Conference on issues related to academic integrity, rules compliance and student-athlete welfare. She also was very active with the sport of women’s basketball following her hall of fame career at UTEP as she served on the NCAA women’s basketball rules committee during her time as the faculty athletics representative.

Stoney also served as the university's interim chief diversity and inclusion officer from May 2021-Oct. 2022, as well as an associate professor of curriculum and instruction in the College of Education, where she was a member of the graduate faculty and chair of the college's undergraduate academic reinstatement committee. She also coordinated the physical education and health program for the curriculum and instruction department.Stoney joined K-State in 1999 as a race equity coordinator and technical consultant with the College of Education's Midwest Equity Assistance Center. She was subsequently hired as an assistant professor of secondary education with the college in 2000 and was promoted to associate professor in 2005.Before joining K-State, Stoney was a special education teacher and department chair at the middle school level.Stoney earned a bachelor's degree in secondary education-special education/health education as well as a master's degree in kinesiology from the University of Texas, El Paso. She earned a doctorate in special education/multicultural education from the University of Texas, Austin. An accomplished basketball player, she was inducted into the UTEP Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010 and&nbsp;ranks third all-time in UTEP career points with 1,249.K-State leaders offer their condolences to Be’s family.Richard Linton, Kansas State University president:"Dr. Be Stoney was a valued faculty member in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction in the College of Education. She also had a tremendous passion for college athletics, which led her to serve as K-State's presidentially appointed faculty athletics representative for the Big 12 for a number of years. She will be deeply missed within the K-State family and community, and her legacy of incredible service to students and student-athletes will never be forgotten."Gene Taylor, director of athletics:"Today is a sad day upon learning of the passing of Dr. Be Stoney. She cared deeply for our university and played an enormous role in the development of our students and student-athletes. As our faculty athletics representative, she was a tremendous advocate for our coaches and student-athletes at both the conference and NCAA level and played a huge role in the overall advancement of the college athletics landscape. She will be missed, and our thoughts and prayers are with Michael and the entire family."Debbie Mercer, College of Education dean:"Dr. Stoney was a strong student advocate. She held students to high standards and held them accountable when needed. She was a caring colleague and leaves a strong physical education program as part of her legacy to the College of Education."

Kansas State University, the nation's first operational land-grant institution and a Carnegie Foundation Tier One university, is recognized as one of the nation’s best colleges with world-class research and academic excellence located in America’s No. 1 College Town (Manhattan, KS).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694023948374.jpeg" alt="Dr. Be Stoney " />
 <figcaption>Dr. Be Stoney </figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas State UniversityBeEtta "Be" Stoney, longtime Kansas State University faculty athletics representative, died Tuesday, Sept. 5.Stoney served as K-State's faculty athletics representative for 13 years, 2010-2023, and worked closely with K-State Athletics and the Big 12 Conference on issues related to academic integrity, rules compliance and student-athlete welfare. She also was very active with the sport of women’s basketball following her hall of fame career at UTEP as she served on the NCAA women’s basketball rules committee during her time as the faculty athletics representative.Stoney also served as the university's interim chief diversity and inclusion officer from May 2021-Oct. 2022, as well as an associate professor of curriculum and instruction in the College of Education, where she was a member of the graduate faculty and chair of the college's undergraduate academic reinstatement committee. She also coordinated the physical education and health program for the curriculum and instruction department.Stoney joined K-State in 1999 as a race equity coordinator and technical consultant with the College of Education's Midwest Equity Assistance Center. She was subsequently hired as an assistant professor of secondary education with the college in 2000 and was promoted to associate professor in 2005.Before joining K-State, Stoney was a special education teacher and department chair at the middle school level.Stoney earned a bachelor's degree in secondary education-special education/health education as well as a master's degree in kinesiology from the University of Texas, El Paso. She earned a doctorate in special education/multicultural education from the University of Texas, Austin. An accomplished basketball player, she was inducted into the UTEP Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010 and&nbsp;ranks third all-time in UTEP career points with 1,249.K-State leaders offer their condolences to Be’s family.Richard Linton, Kansas State University president:"Dr. Be Stoney was a valued faculty member in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction in the College of Education. She also had a tremendous passion for college athletics, which led her to serve as K-State's presidentially appointed faculty athletics representative for the Big 12 for a number of years. She will be deeply missed within the K-State family and community, and her legacy of incredible service to students and student-athletes will never be forgotten."Gene Taylor, director of athletics:"Today is a sad day upon learning of the passing of Dr. Be Stoney. She cared deeply for our university and played an enormous role in the development of our students and student-athletes. As our faculty athletics representative, she was a tremendous advocate for our coaches and student-athletes at both the conference and NCAA level and played a huge role in the overall advancement of the college athletics landscape. She will be missed, and our thoughts and prayers are with Michael and the entire family."Debbie Mercer, College of Education dean:"Dr. Stoney was a strong student advocate. She held students to high standards and held them accountable when needed. She was a caring colleague and leaves a strong physical education program as part of her legacy to the College of Education."Kansas State University, the nation's first operational land-grant institution and a Carnegie Foundation Tier One university, is recognized as one of the nation’s best colleges with world-class research and academic excellence located in America’s No. 1 College Town (Manhattan, KS).

K-State Community Mourns the Loss of Be Stoney

Salina Central falls to Andover in straight sets - 15-25, 13-25

Salina Central defeats Ark City in straight sets - 25-21, 25-20

Salina South defeats Campus in three sets - 25-7, 16-25, 25-15

Chapman falls to Wamego in three sets - 23-25, 27-25, 22-25

Solomon falls to Little River and Herington

Tuesday ResultsSalina Central falls to Andover in straight sets - 15-25, 13-25Salina Central defeats Ark City in straight sets - 25-21, 25-20Salina South defeats Campus in three sets - 25-7, 16-25, 25-15Chapman falls to Wamego in three sets - 23-25, 27-25, 22-25Solomon falls to Little River and Herington

Area Volleyball Results September 4-10

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/52e3d3dc-8927-40e9-b595-7362fc60cb10?elinkdata=319" target="_blank">Noel Zimbeva</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/27ca606e-72e3-4457-8c19-1ee30c954bee?elinkdata=319" target="_blank">Abaenya Nundu</a>&nbsp;had braces, and five other Coyotes scored a goal each as the Kansas Wesleyan Men's Soccer team blasted the Randall University Saints 9-0 on Tuesday night at JRI Hospitality Stadium at the Graves Family Sports Complex.

The win was the largest in program history since a 10-0 win over Southwestern on October 23, 2011. The school record for goals in a match is 13.

Zimbeva opened the scoring for the Coyotes in the 12th minute off an assist by&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/fa7f78fc-1cbc-46b6-a335-e85fde74fd41?elinkdata=319" target="_blank">Isaiah Nicholson</a>.

It took a while for the Coyotes to ramp up the scoring, but the Coyotes added two more late first-half tallies to take a 3-0 lead at the break.&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c984f98d-17cd-4d8a-ab52-5ce53ba6326a?elinkdata=319" target="_blank">Luis Farinas</a>&nbsp;scored in the 43rd minute with a double assist to&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0ac35ee5-cbbc-45a5-90b8-0afcadb02f4f?elinkdata=319" target="_blank">Emilio Rodriguez</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/5609177d-73b3-4609-b3c2-7b667ff121c8?elinkdata=319" target="_blank">Mika Wernicke</a>, and Zimbeva added his second tally three seconds before the half off an assist by&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/38116f90-8ced-42d4-9271-277a7ec1c329?elinkdata=319" target="_blank">Jesus Moreno</a>.

It didn't take long in the second half for the Coyotes to get things going.&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/ad878b40-5161-4671-a18f-573d66ca4c07?elinkdata=319" target="_blank">Cayden Andersen</a>&nbsp;netted the first of six second-half tallies in the 51st minute off an assist by Thomas Hernandez.

Nundu got his first score in the 57th minute.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/5aec401a-4a76-48d3-8803-b2e6792418f9?elinkdata=319" target="_blank">Ryder Ficklin</a>&nbsp;was the beneficiary of a&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0fb6095c-d80d-4eaa-985e-93628e63ca75?elinkdata=319" target="_blank">Cayden Andersen</a>&nbsp;pass in the 73rd minute.

Wesleyan (2-1) had a chance at another goal in the 80th minute when the Coyotes were awarded a penalty, but&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/8a031b87-cf89-405b-9c7c-b9e62ed8f337?elinkdata=319" target="_blank">Jacob Langebartels'</a>&nbsp;shot to the lower left was stopped by Randall keeper Leon Schmitter.

The Coyotes found the net again in the 80th minute as&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/160d7d7c-3f62-4ac7-af68-836c8ca729b4?elinkdata=319" target="_blank">Konstantinos Gavriel</a>&nbsp;scored off an assist by Hernandez, and in the 82nd, Nundu got his second of the match off a Wernicke assist.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9d64a4de-9a11-4be9-b96d-f12409e2ecc9?elinkdata=319" target="_blank">Emilio Rodriguez</a>&nbsp;capped the scoring in the 82nd minute as well, just a few seconds after Nundu's goal.

The Coyotes outshot Randall 27-2 in the match, holding the Saints without a second-half shot. Nundu led the Coyotes with six shots, two on frame, both for goals. Zimbeva and Moreno had four each.&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/8c75ee34-92ca-49f1-a64c-96aea584a29e?elinkdata=319" target="_blank">Santiago Pagnutti</a>&nbsp;and Mateus da Silva split the night in goal, each working a half.

It's a quick turnaround for the Coyotes, as they host Kansas Christian at 8 p.m. on Thursday at JRI Stadium, before heading to Central Christian on Saturday for the official first road tilt of the season.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/52e3d3dc-8927-40e9-b595-7362fc60cb10?elinkdata=319" target="_blank">Noel Zimbeva</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/27ca606e-72e3-4457-8c19-1ee30c954bee?elinkdata=319" target="_blank">Abaenya Nundu</a>&nbsp;had braces, and five other Coyotes scored a goal each as the Kansas Wesleyan Men's Soccer team blasted the Randall University Saints 9-0 on Tuesday night at JRI Hospitality Stadium at the Graves Family Sports Complex.The win was the largest in program history since a 10-0 win over Southwestern on October 23, 2011. The school record for goals in a match is 13.Zimbeva opened the scoring for the Coyotes in the 12th minute off an assist by&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/fa7f78fc-1cbc-46b6-a335-e85fde74fd41?elinkdata=319" target="_blank">Isaiah Nicholson</a>.It took a while for the Coyotes to ramp up the scoring, but the Coyotes added two more late first-half tallies to take a 3-0 lead at the break.&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c984f98d-17cd-4d8a-ab52-5ce53ba6326a?elinkdata=319" target="_blank">Luis Farinas</a>&nbsp;scored in the 43rd minute with a double assist to&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0ac35ee5-cbbc-45a5-90b8-0afcadb02f4f?elinkdata=319" target="_blank">Emilio Rodriguez</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/5609177d-73b3-4609-b3c2-7b667ff121c8?elinkdata=319" target="_blank">Mika Wernicke</a>, and Zimbeva added his second tally three seconds before the half off an assist by&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/38116f90-8ced-42d4-9271-277a7ec1c329?elinkdata=319" target="_blank">Jesus Moreno</a>.It didn't take long in the second half for the Coyotes to get things going.&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/ad878b40-5161-4671-a18f-573d66ca4c07?elinkdata=319" target="_blank">Cayden Andersen</a>&nbsp;netted the first of six second-half tallies in the 51st minute off an assist by Thomas Hernandez.Nundu got his first score in the 57th minute.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/5aec401a-4a76-48d3-8803-b2e6792418f9?elinkdata=319" target="_blank">Ryder Ficklin</a>&nbsp;was the beneficiary of a&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0fb6095c-d80d-4eaa-985e-93628e63ca75?elinkdata=319" target="_blank">Cayden Andersen</a>&nbsp;pass in the 73rd minute.Wesleyan (2-1) had a chance at another goal in the 80th minute when the Coyotes were awarded a penalty, but&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/8a031b87-cf89-405b-9c7c-b9e62ed8f337?elinkdata=319" target="_blank">Jacob Langebartels'</a>&nbsp;shot to the lower left was stopped by Randall keeper Leon Schmitter.The Coyotes found the net again in the 80th minute as&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/160d7d7c-3f62-4ac7-af68-836c8ca729b4?elinkdata=319" target="_blank">Konstantinos Gavriel</a>&nbsp;scored off an assist by Hernandez, and in the 82nd, Nundu got his second of the match off a Wernicke assist.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9d64a4de-9a11-4be9-b96d-f12409e2ecc9?elinkdata=319" target="_blank">Emilio Rodriguez</a>&nbsp;capped the scoring in the 82nd minute as well, just a few seconds after Nundu's goal.The Coyotes outshot Randall 27-2 in the match, holding the Saints without a second-half shot. Nundu led the Coyotes with six shots, two on frame, both for goals. Zimbeva and Moreno had four each.&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/8c75ee34-92ca-49f1-a64c-96aea584a29e?elinkdata=319" target="_blank">Santiago Pagnutti</a>&nbsp;and Mateus da Silva split the night in goal, each working a half.It's a quick turnaround for the Coyotes, as they host Kansas Christian at 8 p.m. on Thursday at JRI Stadium, before heading to Central Christian on Saturday for the official first road tilt of the season.

KWU Men’s Soccer shuts out Randall 9-0

Kansas City Chiefs VS Detroit Lions at Arrowhead Stadium, GEHA Field 6 p.m. (Listen LIVE on 910KINA)

Kpreps Kansas Pregame Show 6 p.m. (Listen LIVE on 910KINA) Southeast of Saline Trojans Football Pregame Show 6:30 p.m. (LIVE on 910KINA and Livestream Salina) Southeast of Saline Trojans vs. Beloit Trojans Football at Steve Fritz Field, Gypsum, 7 p.m. (Stream and Listen LIVE on Salina Post/910KINA)

Sacred Heart Knight VS Minneapolis Lions at Minneapolis Jr/Sr High School, Minneapolis, Kansas  7 p.m. (Streamed LIVE on Salina Post)

MRN&nbsp; Nascar Live&nbsp;8 a.m. (Listen LIVE on 910KINA) Kansas Wesleyan University Coyote Football Pregame Show 6:30 p.m. Kansas Wesleyan University Coyotes vs. Southwestern College Mound Builders at Richard L Jantz Stadium, Winfield, Kansas 7:30 p.m. (Stream and Listen LIVE on Salina Post/910KINA)

PRN&nbsp; The Pit Reporters&nbsp;9 a.m. (Listen LIVE on 910KINA) MRN&nbsp; Hollywood Casino&nbsp;400, Kansas Speedway, Kansas City, Kansas 1 p.m.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591971280271.jpeg" alt="KINA" />
 <figcaption>KINA</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Thursday</h2>Kansas City Chiefs VS Detroit Lions at Arrowhead Stadium, GEHA Field 6 p.m. (Listen LIVE on 910KINA)<h2>Friday</h2>Kpreps Kansas Pregame Show 6 p.m. (Listen LIVE on 910KINA) Southeast of Saline Trojans Football Pregame Show 6:30 p.m. (LIVE on 910KINA and Livestream Salina) Southeast of Saline Trojans vs. Beloit Trojans Football at Steve Fritz Field, Gypsum, 7 p.m. (Stream and Listen LIVE on Salina Post/910KINA)Sacred Heart Knight VS Minneapolis Lions at Minneapolis Jr/Sr High School, Minneapolis, Kansas 7 p.m. (Streamed LIVE on Salina Post)<h2>Saturday</h2>MRN&nbsp; Nascar Live&nbsp;8 a.m. (Listen LIVE on 910KINA) Kansas Wesleyan University Coyote Football Pregame Show 6:30 p.m. Kansas Wesleyan University Coyotes vs. Southwestern College Mound Builders at Richard L Jantz Stadium, Winfield, Kansas 7:30 p.m. (Stream and Listen LIVE on Salina Post/910KINA)<h2>Sunday</h2>PRN&nbsp; The Pit Reporters&nbsp;9 a.m. (Listen LIVE on 910KINA) MRN&nbsp; Hollywood Casino&nbsp;400, Kansas Speedway, Kansas City, Kansas 1 p.m.

910KINA/Salina Post Sports Schedule 

OPENING STATEMENT: “As far as injuries go, (Travis) Kelce hyperextended his knee today, so we’ll just see how he does going forward. Good day at practice before this challenge of playing the (Detroit) Lions, they’ve got a good football team. Our guys got a good week of prep and we’re looking forward, like I said to the challenge of playing a good football team. With that, time is yours.”

Q: Is there any status update on Travis Kelce?

REID: “No, they’re just looking at it now so we’ll just how it goes.”

Q: Are there guys who won’t play against the Lions due to injuries?

Q: What about Kadarius Toney, did he have a good week?

Q: How do you manage game planning when one of your main guys goes down?

REID: “The next guy steps in and we roll, and that’s what you do, if that’s the case.”

Q: Are you confident in Isiah Pacheco’s ability to play full speed in the first game of the season?

REID: “Again, if he’s up, he’s playing so he’ll be ready.”

Q: Is there an emotional resolution with the Chris Jones stuff?

REID: “Listen, I haven’t even gone there. We’re focused in on the guys who are here getting ready to play the (Detroit) Lions, that’s where I am at. If you’re not there, you’re not there. Unfortunately, that’s the name of the game so you can’t spend time, you’ve got to exhaust your time on the team you’re playing so that’s where we’re at.”

Q: Did you see what happened with Travis Kelce?

REID: “Yes, it was right in front of me. He hyperextended his knee.”

Q: How excited are you for the season to kick off?

PACHECO: “I’m very excited about it. (I’m) blessed to be here and I can’t wait to get out there and show the fans how hard we’ve been working this offseason.”

Q: What kind of challenge does the Detroit defensive front pose for you in the run game?

PACHECO: “They’re strong up front and a good unit. For us - just stay locked in and finish.”

Q: What do you remember about going into your first game last year?

PACHECO: “Just the noise, that everyone was talking about how fast the game is. For me the most important thing was to limit the distractions and that’s the mentality I need to have going forward and just keep it rolling.”

Q: Is that the same thing you tell the rookies to do going into a big first game?

PACHECO: “Yeah definitely. (I) told them there is going to be a lot of distractions and a lot of fan activities, (and) a lot of fans calling you names, so it’s exciting, but I’m saying you got a job ahead of you, you’ve got to lock in and eliminate distractions.”

Q: Can you talk about the excitement for the home opener on Thursday?

HUMPHREY: “Yeah, it’s obviously very exciting. Kicking off the season, first game, home game. There can be a lot of distractions for this game so really our focus is just on the game. That’s our sole focus right now, just preparing to go out there and play the way we play football.”

Q: The offensive line didn’t let anyone touch Patrick Mahomes during the preseason, what are you expecting from the Lions pass rush?

HUMPHREY: “They have a very talented front. They present a really good challenge for us. They’ve got a ton of talented players on that front seven. They do some good things so it’s definitely a challenge – it’s going to be a challenge for us for sure. We’re excited about it, it’s kind of why we play this game is the challenging parts of it, so we’re excited.”

Q: Now that you’ve been pro for a couple years, what are some of your strategies for such a big game like Thursday night?

HUMPHREY: “I try not to think of it as being such a big game. I think of it as just the next game that’s our focus, that’s our task and taking it play-by-play, that’s the way I think of it.”

Q: Thoughts on the two new tackles in Donovan Smith and Jawaan Taylor?

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691529941375.png" alt="Image Courtesy KC Chiefs" />
 <figcaption>Image Courtesy KC Chiefs</figcaption>
 </figure>Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid QuotesSeptember 5, 2023CHIEFS HEAD COACH ANDY REIDOPENING STATEMENT: “As far as injuries go, (Travis) Kelce hyperextended his knee today, so we’ll just see how he does going forward. Good day at practice before this challenge of playing the (Detroit) Lions, they’ve got a good football team. Our guys got a good week of prep and we’re looking forward, like I said to the challenge of playing a good football team. With that, time is yours.”Q: Is there any status update on Travis Kelce?REID: “No, they’re just looking at it now so we’ll just how it goes.”Q: Are there guys who won’t play against the Lions due to injuries?REID: “I think most guys are there.”Q: What about Kadarius Toney, did he have a good week?REID: “He had a good week, yeah.”Q: How do you manage game planning when one of your main guys goes down?REID: “The next guy steps in and we roll, and that’s what you do, if that’s the case.”Q: On Chris Jones.REID: “No progress.”Q: Are you confident in Isiah Pacheco’s ability to play full speed in the first game of the season?REID: “Again, if he’s up, he’s playing so he’ll be ready.”Q: Is there an emotional resolution with the Chris Jones stuff?REID: “Listen, I haven’t even gone there. We’re focused in on the guys who are here getting ready to play the (Detroit) Lions, that’s where I am at. If you’re not there, you’re not there. Unfortunately, that’s the name of the game so you can’t spend time, you’ve got to exhaust your time on the team you’re playing so that’s where we’re at.”Q: Did you see what happened with Travis Kelce?REID: “Yes, it was right in front of me. He hyperextended his knee.”<h2>Players Quotes</h2>RB ISIAH PACHECOQ: How excited are you for the season to kick off?PACHECO: “I’m very excited about it. (I’m) blessed to be here and I can’t wait to get out there and show the fans how hard we’ve been working this offseason.”Q: What kind of challenge does the Detroit defensive front pose for you in the run game?PACHECO: “They’re strong up front and a good unit. For us - just stay locked in and finish.”Q: What do you remember about going into your first game last year?PACHECO: “Just the noise, that everyone was talking about how fast the game is. For me the most important thing was to limit the distractions and that’s the mentality I need to have going forward and just keep it rolling.”Q: Is that the same thing you tell the rookies to do going into a big first game?PACHECO: “Yeah definitely. (I) told them there is going to be a lot of distractions and a lot of fan activities, (and) a lot of fans calling you names, so it’s exciting, but I’m saying you got a job ahead of you, you’ve got to lock in and eliminate distractions.”C CREED HUMPHREYQ: Can you talk about the excitement for the home opener on Thursday?HUMPHREY: “Yeah, it’s obviously very exciting. Kicking off the season, first game, home game. There can be a lot of distractions for this game so really our focus is just on the game. That’s our sole focus right now, just preparing to go out there and play the way we play football.”Q: The offensive line didn’t let anyone touch Patrick Mahomes during the preseason, what are you expecting from the Lions pass rush?HUMPHREY: “They have a very talented front. They present a really good challenge for us. They’ve got a ton of talented players on that front seven. They do some good things so it’s definitely a challenge – it’s going to be a challenge for us for sure. We’re excited about it, it’s kind of why we play this game is the challenging parts of it, so we’re excited.”Q: Now that you’ve been pro for a couple years, what are some of your strategies for such a big game like Thursday night?HUMPHREY: “I try not to think of it as being such a big game. I think of it as just the next game that’s our focus, that’s our task and taking it play-by-play, that’s the way I think of it.”Q: Thoughts on the two new tackles in Donovan Smith and Jawaan Taylor?

Chiefs Quotes: Head Coach Andy Reid, Pacheco, Humphrey

ASSISTANT&nbsp;HEAD COACH/SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR DAVE TOUB

Q:&nbsp;Does it feel good having a lot of guys coming back on special teams from last year?

TOUB:&nbsp;“Yeah,&nbsp;oh yeah. I’ve got a lot of guys back&nbsp;– we got several guys back like Leo Chenal and Jack Cochrane&nbsp;and all those guys are all&nbsp;second-year&nbsp;guys now.&nbsp;(They are) experienced. We still have some more rookies that are going to end up playing in this game so– I mean that’s life as a special teams coordinator,&nbsp;it’s ongoing and it’s game-to-game but I am happy with this group that we have.”

Q:&nbsp;Do you think Justyn Ross will factor into special teams?

TOUB:&nbsp;“Yeah he should&nbsp;– I mean if he’s up,&nbsp;active – we’ve got to decide who’s going to be up and who’s going to be down,&nbsp;that’s always a factor.&nbsp;Anybody who is up will be somebody who helps us, they won’t be up for no reason.”

Q:&nbsp;You can scout kickers and punters to know what they do and what type of hang time they get, but how hard is it in the moment for returners to know when to return and when to fair-catch?

TOUB:&nbsp;“It’s hard, that’s why you have to trust them to make&nbsp;thedecision. They have the keys to the car,&nbsp;it’s like a quarterback, they have to make good decisions. You can’t&nbsp;– I can sit there on the&nbsp;sideline&nbsp;and say ‘Oh return this one’ and it’s close&nbsp;and he doesn’t and you just have to go with it. You have to trust your players&nbsp;thatare on the field to make a big play and whatever it is we’re going to block it up. That’s what I told&nbsp;our guys:&nbsp;‘Block it up and make them (the returner) right.’ No matter what he&nbsp;(the returner)&nbsp;does,&nbsp;we’re blocking like he's coming out every time.”

Q:&nbsp;Do you anticipate seeing more squib kicks on kick-offs?

TOUB:&nbsp;“If a team wants&nbsp;to&nbsp;force you to return it&nbsp;(and)&nbsp;they kick a squib kick&nbsp;(then)&nbsp;you’ve got to return it – unless it goes for a touchback or goes out of bounds – you’ve got to do something with that, it’s a live football and you can’t fair catch it,&nbsp;so you’ve got to return it. We’ve practiced that a bunch,&nbsp;and if a team wants to force you – wants you to return it,&nbsp;they’re going to have to do that.”

Opening Statement:&nbsp;“Listen great to be standing here, regular season game getting ready for an opponent knowing we’re going to play our guys because I’ve been up here a little bit ‘Who’s going to play, who’s not going to play.’ The best guy is going to go out and play – it’s a great opponent we are playing. The more film you watch of Detroit and what they did and who they have – I mean I had respect for them before,&nbsp;but wow,&nbsp;talk about an elite group. And we hear all the things being said about them. They’ve got&nbsp;newweapons and good coaching and all that&nbsp;so great challenge for us. With that I’ll open it up.”

Q:&nbsp;What stands out to you on tape about the Detroit Lions?

SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“I think their system that they’ve put together&nbsp;–&nbsp;we call it eye candy&nbsp;and&nbsp;the movement&nbsp;and&nbsp;all the things that go on before the ball is even snapped I think&nbsp;they do an outstanding job of. The quarterback (Lions Quarterback Jared Goff) obviously is gathering all kinds of information and he’s really good at taking that information and putting them in a really good play. That on top of the skill they have, we all know about the running back they added&nbsp;(Lions Running Back Jahmyr Gibbs) and the receivers they have out there&nbsp;et cetera, et cetera. That all packaged together I think is a really tough challenge for us.”

Q:&nbsp;How do you prepare for a rookie like Lions Running Back Jahmyr Gibbs who has the potential to be a big factor but does not have a lot of tape?

SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“Yeah and he didn’t play a lot in the preseason, there were a couple snaps there. But we have looked at (University of) Alabama&nbsp;film. They found ways to get him the ball on the perimeter, we expect this team (the Lions) to do the same thing. He is really good with the ball in his hands. It’s all&nbsp;eyeballs&nbsp;on number 26&nbsp;(Lions Running Back Jahmyr Gibbs) when he goes in the game.That’s one of the things we’ve been talking about, know where he isand&nbsp;if he’s in the game because&nbsp;we&nbsp;certainly think with a guy that’s that explosive they’re going to try&nbsp;to find way to get him the ball.”

Q:&nbsp;What kind of player do you think you’re getting with&nbsp;Neil Farrell?

SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“A little bit of an unknown. Big, you know big strong football player. We’ll see, we really haven’t had&nbsp;him for that long.&nbsp;(Defensive Line Coach) Joe (Cullen) has had him in the meeting room, seems like he picks things up pretty well. It’s an unknown right now, we’ll see where we can get him to by the time Thursday rolls around,&nbsp;and we’ll have&nbsp;a better idea.”

Q:&nbsp;We know you like to blitz, how do you prepare for that with&nbsp;a group of guys&nbsp;at the&nbsp;beginning&nbsp;of the season you have not seen play together?

SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“Interesting question.&nbsp;I’m as curious as you guys to see what we have and what we can do with the players we have. We’ve talked about this before in this room that sometimes it takes a quarter of the season to figure out how it’s going to piece together, what you have. We think we have things in to take advantage of what our guys do, but we’ll see. We didn’t get a lot of snaps in the&nbsp;preseason,&nbsp;and we&nbsp;certainly obviously didn’t do a lot of things&nbsp;preseason wise. We’re going off of practice and hopefully we’ve prepared well and can get some of those things going.”

Q:&nbsp;Travis Kelce was just talking about the excitement for week one, how excited are you for week one against the Lions?

NAGY:&nbsp;“It’s exciting, you go through the tempo and monotony of the training camp, it’s a long training camp,&nbsp;but at the same time we know it’s needed. Then we’re all so many of us as players and coaches are creatures of habit. It’s nice to get to a schedule that you know how the day is going and yesterday being our in-season Wednesday practice for us even though it was a different day. Our first day of the week of true practice you could feel the juice and the energy and the vibe of the guys out there and he’s certainly one of them (Travis Kelce). The guys look to him to lead, and he’s been that way ever since I’ve been here.&nbsp;I think they – these guys really lock in right now,&nbsp;and today they’re&nbsp;not so much worried what happened in training camp or really what’s happening in the future, it’s about right now.”

Q:&nbsp;You guys are carrying seven receivers; do you see a path where they can all get some work?

NAGY:&nbsp;“Yeah, we do and&nbsp;it’s&nbsp;not new to us, we’ve been working with them since OTA’s. You just want to see now when you have these guys, what are their strengths. You don’t know until you draft Rashee (Rice) what his strengths – you think you know in college but how do you transfer it to what we do offensively. Then how do we do what he does well and place that too. Now that we’ve got a better picture of what everybody does, whatever (Head) Coach (Andy Reid) and (General Manager Brett) Veach decide to do every week with the active wide receivers,&nbsp;we got to make sure we have a plan like we talked about before, contingency plan on how to use them. We think we know;&nbsp;they think we know,&nbsp;but we won’t know-know until we start playing these games, especially for some of these young guys.”

Q:&nbsp;On Patrick Mahomes week one dominance.

NAGY:&nbsp;"That was brought to my attention just as we we’re talking about week one opponents, week one for us and just our players in general. He plays pretty well week one, he plays pretty well like every week (laughter). Week one in general when you look at some of the numbers he’s had and winning games and scoring points, you want him on your side. Again, with Pat (Patrick Mahomes) you look at somebody in training camp, OTA’s he’s always locked in but then you always feel – and I felt it last year and I felt it again yesterday – there’s just that little tick more of knowing that you’re&nbsp;now in quote-on-quote game week and it becomes like – using quotes ‘A little more real’ for all of us now, it’s here. Now you feel it in the week of practice, and I was fortunate enough to feel last year on game day how that is too before the game for him. Players like that go to different places and&nbsp;it’s&nbsp;fun to have on your side.”

Q:&nbsp;When you try to explain to somebody what sets Patrick Mahomes apart in general, what couple things does it simmer down to?

NAGY:&nbsp;"Well number one is competitiveness. There’s no one around that’s as competitive as him, nobody. It’s just as simple as that. I’ve been around a lot of people, and no one is as competitive as him,&nbsp;so he’s one and there’s no one-A. Number two is just his focus. Then number three is he doesn’t miss anything, he sees everything. Whatever that is, if it’s in a conversation, if it’s watching video or tape. I always joke about it like we could be in the middle of the game on the sideline, I witnessed it last year, you know we’re going through the tablet and going through plays and what the defense just did and all of a sudden out of&nbsp;nowhere&nbsp;he looks up and sees the score of another game or something. It’s like&nbsp;‘how do you do that?’&nbsp;(laughter)&nbsp;It’s rare. It’s different (and) then he goes right back to what the blitz that they’re doing, and you’re just like this is cool (laughter).”

ASSISTANT&nbsp;HEAD COACH/SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR DAVE TOUBQ:&nbsp;Does it feel good having a lot of guys coming back on special teams from last year?TOUB:&nbsp;“Yeah,&nbsp;oh yeah. I’ve got a lot of guys back&nbsp;– we got several guys back like Leo Chenal and Jack Cochrane&nbsp;and all those guys are all&nbsp;second-year&nbsp;guys now.&nbsp;(They are) experienced. We still have some more rookies that are going to end up playing in this game so– I mean that’s life as a special teams coordinator,&nbsp;it’s ongoing and it’s game-to-game but I am happy with this group that we have.”Q:&nbsp;Do you think Justyn Ross will factor into special teams?TOUB:&nbsp;“Yeah he should&nbsp;– I mean if he’s up,&nbsp;active – we’ve got to decide who’s going to be up and who’s going to be down,&nbsp;that’s always a factor.&nbsp;Anybody who is up will be somebody who helps us, they won’t be up for no reason.”Q:&nbsp;You can scout kickers and punters to know what they do and what type of hang time they get, but how hard is it in the moment for returners to know when to return and when to fair-catch?TOUB:&nbsp;“It’s hard, that’s why you have to trust them to make&nbsp;thedecision. They have the keys to the car,&nbsp;it’s like a quarterback, they have to make good decisions. You can’t&nbsp;– I can sit there on the&nbsp;sideline&nbsp;and say ‘Oh return this one’ and it’s close&nbsp;and he doesn’t and you just have to go with it. You have to trust your players&nbsp;thatare on the field to make a big play and whatever it is we’re going to block it up. That’s what I told&nbsp;our guys:&nbsp;‘Block it up and make them (the returner) right.’ No matter what he&nbsp;(the returner)&nbsp;does,&nbsp;we’re blocking like he's coming out every time.”Q:&nbsp;Do you anticipate seeing more squib kicks on kick-offs?TOUB:&nbsp;“If a team wants&nbsp;to&nbsp;force you to return it&nbsp;(and)&nbsp;they kick a squib kick&nbsp;(then)&nbsp;you’ve got to return it – unless it goes for a touchback or goes out of bounds – you’ve got to do something with that, it’s a live football and you can’t fair catch it,&nbsp;so you’ve got to return it. We’ve practiced that a bunch,&nbsp;and if a team wants to force you – wants you to return it,&nbsp;they’re going to have to do that.”DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR STEVE SPAGNUOLOOpening Statement:&nbsp;“Listen great to be standing here, regular season game getting ready for an opponent knowing we’re going to play our guys because I’ve been up here a little bit ‘Who’s going to play, who’s not going to play.’ The best guy is going to go out and play – it’s a great opponent we are playing. The more film you watch of Detroit and what they did and who they have – I mean I had respect for them before,&nbsp;but wow,&nbsp;talk about an elite group. And we hear all the things being said about them. They’ve got&nbsp;newweapons and good coaching and all that&nbsp;so great challenge for us. With that I’ll open it up.”Q:&nbsp;What stands out to you on tape about the Detroit Lions?SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“I think their system that they’ve put together&nbsp;–&nbsp;we call it eye candy&nbsp;and&nbsp;the movement&nbsp;and&nbsp;all the things that go on before the ball is even snapped I think&nbsp;they do an outstanding job of. The quarterback (Lions Quarterback Jared Goff) obviously is gathering all kinds of information and he’s really good at taking that information and putting them in a really good play. That on top of the skill they have, we all know about the running back they added&nbsp;(Lions Running Back Jahmyr Gibbs) and the receivers they have out there&nbsp;et cetera, et cetera. That all packaged together I think is a really tough challenge for us.”Q:&nbsp;How do you prepare for a rookie like Lions Running Back Jahmyr Gibbs who has the potential to be a big factor but does not have a lot of tape?SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“Yeah and he didn’t play a lot in the preseason, there were a couple snaps there. But we have looked at (University of) Alabama&nbsp;film. They found ways to get him the ball on the perimeter, we expect this team (the Lions) to do the same thing. He is really good with the ball in his hands. It’s all&nbsp;eyeballs&nbsp;on number 26&nbsp;(Lions Running Back Jahmyr Gibbs) when he goes in the game.That’s one of the things we’ve been talking about, know where he isand&nbsp;if he’s in the game because&nbsp;we&nbsp;certainly think with a guy that’s that explosive they’re going to try&nbsp;to find way to get him the ball.”Q:&nbsp;What kind of player do you think you’re getting with&nbsp;Neil Farrell?SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“A little bit of an unknown. Big, you know big strong football player. We’ll see, we really haven’t had&nbsp;him for that long.&nbsp;(Defensive Line Coach) Joe (Cullen) has had him in the meeting room, seems like he picks things up pretty well. It’s an unknown right now, we’ll see where we can get him to by the time Thursday rolls around,&nbsp;and we’ll have&nbsp;a better idea.”Q:&nbsp;We know you like to blitz, how do you prepare for that with&nbsp;a group of guys&nbsp;at the&nbsp;beginning&nbsp;of the season you have not seen play together?SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“Interesting question.&nbsp;I’m as curious as you guys to see what we have and what we can do with the players we have. We’ve talked about this before in this room that sometimes it takes a quarter of the season to figure out how it’s going to piece together, what you have. We think we have things in to take advantage of what our guys do, but we’ll see. We didn’t get a lot of snaps in the&nbsp;preseason,&nbsp;and we&nbsp;certainly obviously didn’t do a lot of things&nbsp;preseason wise. We’re going off of practice and hopefully we’ve prepared well and can get some of those things going.”OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR MATT NAGY&nbsp;Q:&nbsp;Travis Kelce was just talking about the excitement for week one, how excited are you for week one against the Lions?NAGY:&nbsp;“It’s exciting, you go through the tempo and monotony of the training camp, it’s a long training camp,&nbsp;but at the same time we know it’s needed. Then we’re all so many of us as players and coaches are creatures of habit. It’s nice to get to a schedule that you know how the day is going and yesterday being our in-season Wednesday practice for us even though it was a different day. Our first day of the week of true practice you could feel the juice and the energy and the vibe of the guys out there and he’s certainly one of them (Travis Kelce). The guys look to him to lead, and he’s been that way ever since I’ve been here.&nbsp;I think they – these guys really lock in right now,&nbsp;and today they’re&nbsp;not so much worried what happened in training camp or really what’s happening in the future, it’s about right now.”Q:&nbsp;You guys are carrying seven receivers; do you see a path where they can all get some work?NAGY:&nbsp;“Yeah, we do and&nbsp;it’s&nbsp;not new to us, we’ve been working with them since OTA’s. You just want to see now when you have these guys, what are their strengths. You don’t know until you draft Rashee (Rice) what his strengths – you think you know in college but how do you transfer it to what we do offensively. Then how do we do what he does well and place that too. Now that we’ve got a better picture of what everybody does, whatever (Head) Coach (Andy Reid) and (General Manager Brett) Veach decide to do every week with the active wide receivers,&nbsp;we got to make sure we have a plan like we talked about before, contingency plan on how to use them. We think we know;&nbsp;they think we know,&nbsp;but we won’t know-know until we start playing these games, especially for some of these young guys.”Q:&nbsp;On Patrick Mahomes week one dominance.NAGY:&nbsp;"That was brought to my attention just as we we’re talking about week one opponents, week one for us and just our players in general. He plays pretty well week one, he plays pretty well like every week (laughter). Week one in general when you look at some of the numbers he’s had and winning games and scoring points, you want him on your side. Again, with Pat (Patrick Mahomes) you look at somebody in training camp, OTA’s he’s always locked in but then you always feel – and I felt it last year and I felt it again yesterday – there’s just that little tick more of knowing that you’re&nbsp;now in quote-on-quote game week and it becomes like – using quotes ‘A little more real’ for all of us now, it’s here. Now you feel it in the week of practice, and I was fortunate enough to feel last year on game day how that is too before the game for him. Players like that go to different places and&nbsp;it’s&nbsp;fun to have on your side.”Q:&nbsp;When you try to explain to somebody what sets Patrick Mahomes apart in general, what couple things does it simmer down to?NAGY:&nbsp;"Well number one is competitiveness. There’s no one around that’s as competitive as him, nobody. It’s just as simple as that. I’ve been around a lot of people, and no one is as competitive as him,&nbsp;so he’s one and there’s no one-A. Number two is just his focus. Then number three is he doesn’t miss anything, he sees everything. Whatever that is, if it’s in a conversation, if it’s watching video or tape. I always joke about it like we could be in the middle of the game on the sideline, I witnessed it last year, you know we’re going through the tablet and going through plays and what the defense just did and all of a sudden out of&nbsp;nowhere&nbsp;he looks up and sees the score of another game or something. It’s like&nbsp;‘how do you do that?’&nbsp;(laughter)&nbsp;It’s rare. It’s different (and) then he goes right back to what the blitz that they’re doing, and you’re just like this is cool (laughter).”

Chiefs Quotes: Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Dave Toub

In an effort to avoid issues with continued excessive heat in Saturday's weather forecast, the kickoff time of Saturday's game between Kansas Wesleyan and Southwestern College in Winfield has been changed. The game will now kick off at 7:30 p.m. at Jantz Stadium.

The Kansas Wesleyan broadcast of the game will be available locally on KINA 910 AM/107.5 FM, and online at Eagle Communication's Post site (salinapost.com in Salina). &nbsp;Pregame will begin at 6:30 p.m. with Tyler Henry on the call.

The live stream video broadcast will be available on the Coyote Sports Network at kwucoyotes.com and&nbsp;<a href="http://kcacnetwork.com/kansaswesleyan">kcacnetwork.com/kansaswesleyan</a>. Southwestern will be producing the live stream.

In an effort to avoid issues with continued excessive heat in Saturday's weather forecast, the kickoff time of Saturday's game between Kansas Wesleyan and Southwestern College in Winfield has been changed. The game will now kick off at 7:30 p.m. at Jantz Stadium.The Kansas Wesleyan broadcast of the game will be available locally on KINA 910 AM/107.5 FM, and online at Eagle Communication's Post site (salinapost.com in Salina). &nbsp;Pregame will begin at 6:30 p.m. with Tyler Henry on the call.The live stream video broadcast will be available on the Coyote Sports Network at kwucoyotes.com and&nbsp;<a href="http://kcacnetwork.com/kansaswesleyan">kcacnetwork.com/kansaswesleyan</a>. Southwestern will be producing the live stream.

KWU at Southwestern kickoff time changed to 7:30 p.m. to avoid heat

OMAHA, Neb. –&nbsp;Kansas Wesleyan and College of Saint Mary played to a 1-1 draw on Saturday in women's soccer action at Heritage Park.CSM got on the board first in the 29th minute on a goal from Marissa Ring.

In the 66th minute the Coyotes got the equalizer.&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/isabella-anderson/8402">Isabella Anderson</a>&nbsp;played a through ball over the middle of the field to&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/precious-nwosu/8424">Precious Nwosu</a>&nbsp;who broke free of a defender on the run, and tapped the ball in for the score.

CSM outshot the Coyotes 13-9 in the match. Nwosu had three shots to lead the Coyotes, while&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/graciela-lopez/8511">Graciela Lopez</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/yissel-navarro/8515">Yissel Navarro</a>&nbsp;had two each.&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/allison-blumenthal/8403">Allison Blumenthal</a>&nbsp;recorded five saves for the Coyotes.

The Coyotes are on the road for the next two to close out non-conference play. KWU heads to Hastings on Wednesday, then is at Central Christian next Saturday before opening KCAC play on September 13 against York.

OMAHA, Neb. –&nbsp;Kansas Wesleyan and College of Saint Mary played to a 1-1 draw on Saturday in women's soccer action at Heritage Park.CSM got on the board first in the 29th minute on a goal from Marissa Ring.In the 66th minute the Coyotes got the equalizer.&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/isabella-anderson/8402">Isabella Anderson</a>&nbsp;played a through ball over the middle of the field to&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/precious-nwosu/8424">Precious Nwosu</a>&nbsp;who broke free of a defender on the run, and tapped the ball in for the score.CSM outshot the Coyotes 13-9 in the match. Nwosu had three shots to lead the Coyotes, while&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/graciela-lopez/8511">Graciela Lopez</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/yissel-navarro/8515">Yissel Navarro</a>&nbsp;had two each.&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/allison-blumenthal/8403">Allison Blumenthal</a>&nbsp;recorded five saves for the Coyotes.The Coyotes are on the road for the next two to close out non-conference play. KWU heads to Hastings on Wednesday, then is at Central Christian next Saturday before opening KCAC play on September 13 against York.

KWU Women’s Soccer play to 1-1 draw with College of Saint Mary

WICHITA –&nbsp;Kansas Wesleyan cross country opened its 2023 season on Saturday at the JK Gold Invitational, hosted by Wichita State University, and both squads posted strong results in their respective races.

The men posted a second-place finish, besting a field of seven teams that featured some of the top teams in the state at various levels.KWU finished with 72 points, only behind host Wichita State that finished with 16. Newman University was third with 86, Emporia State was fourth with 88, followed by Cowley CC, Friends and Mid-America Christian.

<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/damion-jackson/8696">Damion Jackson</a>&nbsp;led the Coyotes over the 6K course with a 14th place finish, in 19:05.73.&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/austin-hess/8045">Austin Hess</a>&nbsp;was 15th in 19:17.90,&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/jake-cruz/8042">Jake Cruz</a>&nbsp;was 16th in 19:20.09,&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/carter-huyser/8695">Carter Huyser</a>&nbsp;was 22nd in 19:36.68,&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/shane-calvin/8041">Shane Calvin</a>&nbsp;was 24th in 19:41.80,&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/giovanni-rios/8049">Giovanni Rios</a>&nbsp;was 25th in 19:42.88,&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/cisco-alvarez/8039">Cisco Alvarez</a>&nbsp;was 26th in 19:52.41,&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/tytus-reed/8700">Tytus Reed</a>&nbsp;was 30th in 20:07.64,&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/brenden-ellis/8694">Brenden Ellis</a>&nbsp;was 33rd in 20:14.16,&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/jack-horacek/8046">Jack Horacek</a>&nbsp;was 38th in 20:23.46,&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/julian-avila/8040">Julian Avila</a>&nbsp;was 40th in 20:28.33,&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/wyatt-johnson/8697">Wyatt Johnson</a>&nbsp;was 44th in 20:34.29,&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/brodie-bradshaw/8688">Brodie Bradshaw</a>&nbsp;was 48th in 20:57.70,&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/triston-cottone/8690">Triston Cottone</a>&nbsp;was 53rd in 21:19.74,&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/ty-davidson/8043">Ty Davidson</a>&nbsp;was 54th in 21:28.13,&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/cameron-churchill-dowd/8691">Cameron Churchill-Dowd</a>&nbsp;w as 55th in 21:29.20,&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/roman-mai/8698">Roman Mai</a>&nbsp;was 63rd in 21:51.04,&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/zackary-tibbits/8701">Zackary Tibbits</a>&nbsp;was 72nd in 22:07.58,&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/remington-wiseman/8051">Remington Wiseman</a>&nbsp;was 79th in 24:17.05, and&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/hayden-dotson/8693">Hayden Dotson</a>&nbsp;was 81st in 26:49.24.On the women's side the Coyotes were fourth, but were only two points out of second place among the six teams.

Wichita State was the winner with 15 points, followed by Newman with 93, Cowley CC with 94 and KWU was fourth with 95 points.

Madisyn Ehlrich was the top finisher for the Coyotes in 13th with a time of 20:00.20 for the 5K course.&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/josie-koppes/8055">Josie Koppes</a>&nbsp;placed 16th with a time of 20:13.60,&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/alayna-behrman/8052">Alayna Behrman</a>&nbsp;was 25th in 21:15.40,&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/joni-schroeder/8059">Joni Schroeder</a>&nbsp;was 26th in 21:17.10,&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/shelby-lingle/8529">Shelby Lingle</a>&nbsp;was 29th in 21:36.50,&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/allyson-taylor/8531">Allyson Taylor</a>&nbsp;was 30th in 21:50.20,&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/josey-arthurs/8526">Josey Arthurs</a>&nbsp;was 33rd in 22:22.50,&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/ashley-prochazka/8530">Ashley Prochazka</a>&nbsp;was 37th in 22:51.90, and&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/charlee-lind/8056">Charlee Lind</a>&nbsp;was 43rd in 23:58.30.

The Coyotes are back in action on September 16 at the Woody Greeno / Jay Dirksen Invitational in Omaha, Nebraska.

WICHITA –&nbsp;Kansas Wesleyan cross country opened its 2023 season on Saturday at the JK Gold Invitational, hosted by Wichita State University, and both squads posted strong results in their respective races.The men posted a second-place finish, besting a field of seven teams that featured some of the top teams in the state at various levels.KWU finished with 72 points, only behind host Wichita State that finished with 16. Newman University was third with 86, Emporia State was fourth with 88, followed by Cowley CC, Friends and Mid-America Christian.<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/damion-jackson/8696">Damion Jackson</a>&nbsp;led the Coyotes over the 6K course with a 14th place finish, in 19:05.73.&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/austin-hess/8045">Austin Hess</a>&nbsp;was 15th in 19:17.90,&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/jake-cruz/8042">Jake Cruz</a>&nbsp;was 16th in 19:20.09,&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/carter-huyser/8695">Carter Huyser</a>&nbsp;was 22nd in 19:36.68,&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/shane-calvin/8041">Shane Calvin</a>&nbsp;was 24th in 19:41.80,&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/giovanni-rios/8049">Giovanni Rios</a>&nbsp;was 25th in 19:42.88,&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/cisco-alvarez/8039">Cisco Alvarez</a>&nbsp;was 26th in 19:52.41,&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/tytus-reed/8700">Tytus Reed</a>&nbsp;was 30th in 20:07.64,&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/brenden-ellis/8694">Brenden Ellis</a>&nbsp;was 33rd in 20:14.16,&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/jack-horacek/8046">Jack Horacek</a>&nbsp;was 38th in 20:23.46,&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/julian-avila/8040">Julian Avila</a>&nbsp;was 40th in 20:28.33,&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/wyatt-johnson/8697">Wyatt Johnson</a>&nbsp;was 44th in 20:34.29,&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/brodie-bradshaw/8688">Brodie Bradshaw</a>&nbsp;was 48th in 20:57.70,&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/triston-cottone/8690">Triston Cottone</a>&nbsp;was 53rd in 21:19.74,&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/ty-davidson/8043">Ty Davidson</a>&nbsp;was 54th in 21:28.13,&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/cameron-churchill-dowd/8691">Cameron Churchill-Dowd</a>&nbsp;w as 55th in 21:29.20,&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/roman-mai/8698">Roman Mai</a>&nbsp;was 63rd in 21:51.04,&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/zackary-tibbits/8701">Zackary Tibbits</a>&nbsp;was 72nd in 22:07.58,&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/remington-wiseman/8051">Remington Wiseman</a>&nbsp;was 79th in 24:17.05, and&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/hayden-dotson/8693">Hayden Dotson</a>&nbsp;was 81st in 26:49.24.On the women's side the Coyotes were fourth, but were only two points out of second place among the six teams.Wichita State was the winner with 15 points, followed by Newman with 93, Cowley CC with 94 and KWU was fourth with 95 points.Madisyn Ehlrich was the top finisher for the Coyotes in 13th with a time of 20:00.20 for the 5K course.&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/josie-koppes/8055">Josie Koppes</a>&nbsp;placed 16th with a time of 20:13.60,&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/alayna-behrman/8052">Alayna Behrman</a>&nbsp;was 25th in 21:15.40,&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/joni-schroeder/8059">Joni Schroeder</a>&nbsp;was 26th in 21:17.10,&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/shelby-lingle/8529">Shelby Lingle</a>&nbsp;was 29th in 21:36.50,&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/allyson-taylor/8531">Allyson Taylor</a>&nbsp;was 30th in 21:50.20,&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/josey-arthurs/8526">Josey Arthurs</a>&nbsp;was 33rd in 22:22.50,&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/ashley-prochazka/8530">Ashley Prochazka</a>&nbsp;was 37th in 22:51.90, and&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/womens-cross-country/roster/charlee-lind/8056">Charlee Lind</a>&nbsp;was 43rd in 23:58.30.The Coyotes are back in action on September 16 at the Woody Greeno / Jay Dirksen Invitational in Omaha, Nebraska.

Mens XC finishes second, women fourth at JK Gold Invitational

<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/football/roster/daeden-taylor/8649">Daeden Taylor</a>&nbsp;certainly knows how to make a favorable first impression.

Taylor didn't play in No. 20 Kansas Wesleyan's season-opening loss at Evangel but made his debut at quarterback Saturday after a solid week of practice. And what a debut it was.

Taylor ran for 171 yards, accounted for four touchdowns and the defense was splendid once again as the Coyotes trounced Bethany 31-3 in a Kansas Conference game at JRI Stadium and the Graves Family Sports Complex.It was their ninth consecutive victory and 11th in the last 12 games against the arch-rival Swedes.

Taylor, at transfer from Feather River College (Calif.) where he was the backup quarterback last fall, ran for three touchdowns and completed 4 of 9 passes for 31 yards and another score."I ran the ball well, not too bad. Really all the credit's to the O-line up front," Taylor said. "Missed a few throws I wish I had back. I started throwing more comfortable in the second half."It took three quarters for the offense to find its stride but was impressive once it did. Clinging to a precarious 10-3 lead after three quarters KWU (1-1) pulled away with 21 points the final 12:32 of the game."Coach (James) Bauer (offensive coordinator) wanted us to start playing K-Dub football and get back to our roots and start running the ball," Taylor said."Daeden played well and the offensive line was awesome," KWU coach&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/matt-myers/602">Matt Myers</a>&nbsp;said. "He doesn't say much, he just plays hard. It couldn't have happened to a more team-oriented guy."We're a new team, a young team and I'm not certain who we are. We had little adversity in the first and second quarters but showed up late when it mattered and feel good about it."The Coyotes flipped the proverbial switch late in the third quarter. Starting at their 20-yard line Taylor ran 21 yards on first down. Running back&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/football/roster/tyler-boston/7941">Tyler Boston</a>&nbsp;(11 carries 62 yards) gained four yards on the final play of the quarter then gained 33 and 10 yards on the first two plays of the final period.

A pair of eight-yard runs by&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/football/roster/nick-allsman/7930">Nick Allsman</a>&nbsp;preceded Taylor's seven-yard touchdown run with 12:32 left making it 17-3.

After De'Von Lovelady's 65-yard kickoff return to the KWU 28 the defense dug in once again and stopped the Swedes on fourth down at the 34-yard line. Taylor promptly answered by sprinting 66 yards for a touchdown on the first play upping the lead to 24-3 with 9:19 left.

Bethany (0-2) stalled on downs again at the KWU 34 on its next possession. The Coyotes responded with a 66-yard, 12-play drive – the final five yards a touchdown pass from Taylor to tight end&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/football/roster/ricardo-arias/8577">Ricardo Arias</a>&nbsp;with 1:46 left.

Wesleyan finished with 300 yards rushing – 204 the second half.

"What we needed to do was run the ball with confidence and believe that we can do it," Myers said. "I know we had multiple offensive linemen play for us today which was fantastic. Obviously, we're lacking a downfield passing game but 300 yards rushing – we'll take it."

Taylor admitted he was nervous at the start but you wouldn't have known it. After being stopped for no gain on the first play of the game he found an opening, burst into the open, and outran the defense en route to a 76-yard touchdown – two plays and 53 seconds into his Wesleyan career.

"I was a little nervous but ran the ball the first couple of plays and that helped get the jitters out," he said.

The defense was magnificent from the get-go. One week after holding Evangel to 17 points – three in the second half – the Coyotes smothered Bethany's offense. The Swedes finished with 177 total yards on 72 plays, an average of 2.5 yards per play. They had just 35 yards rushing on 33 attempts and quarterbacks Peyton Mainofli and Landry Shields were a combined 16 of 39 passing for 142 yards.

<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/football/roster/ricco-moore/8000">Ricco Moore</a>&nbsp;led the charge with nine tackles while&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/football/roster/quatama-massaquoi/8626">Quatama Massaquoi</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/football/roster/muhamad-abusharkh/8574">Muhamad Abusharkh</a>&nbsp;each had six. Massaquoi also had four pass breakups."My expectation is the defense is going to get a shutout every week," Myers said.

Taylor was pleased with the bounce-back victory."We kind of turned things around today and hopefully can build off that in future weeks," he said.

The Coyotes play Kessinger Division favorite Southwestern at 6 p.m. next Saturday in Winfield. The Moundbuilders defeated Avila 49-41 Saturday in Kansas City, Mo., fending off a late rally by the Eagles.

Story by Bob Davidson<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/football/roster/daeden-taylor/8649">Daeden Taylor</a>&nbsp;certainly knows how to make a favorable first impression.Taylor didn't play in No. 20 Kansas Wesleyan's season-opening loss at Evangel but made his debut at quarterback Saturday after a solid week of practice. And what a debut it was.Taylor ran for 171 yards, accounted for four touchdowns and the defense was splendid once again as the Coyotes trounced Bethany 31-3 in a Kansas Conference game at JRI Stadium and the Graves Family Sports Complex.It was their ninth consecutive victory and 11th in the last 12 games against the arch-rival Swedes.Taylor, at transfer from Feather River College (Calif.) where he was the backup quarterback last fall, ran for three touchdowns and completed 4 of 9 passes for 31 yards and another score."I ran the ball well, not too bad. Really all the credit's to the O-line up front," Taylor said. "Missed a few throws I wish I had back. I started throwing more comfortable in the second half."It took three quarters for the offense to find its stride but was impressive once it did. Clinging to a precarious 10-3 lead after three quarters KWU (1-1) pulled away with 21 points the final 12:32 of the game."Coach (James) Bauer (offensive coordinator) wanted us to start playing K-Dub football and get back to our roots and start running the ball," Taylor said."Daeden played well and the offensive line was awesome," KWU coach&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/matt-myers/602">Matt Myers</a>&nbsp;said. "He doesn't say much, he just plays hard. It couldn't have happened to a more team-oriented guy."We're a new team, a young team and I'm not certain who we are. We had little adversity in the first and second quarters but showed up late when it mattered and feel good about it."The Coyotes flipped the proverbial switch late in the third quarter. Starting at their 20-yard line Taylor ran 21 yards on first down. Running back&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/football/roster/tyler-boston/7941">Tyler Boston</a>&nbsp;(11 carries 62 yards) gained four yards on the final play of the quarter then gained 33 and 10 yards on the first two plays of the final period.A pair of eight-yard runs by&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/football/roster/nick-allsman/7930">Nick Allsman</a>&nbsp;preceded Taylor's seven-yard touchdown run with 12:32 left making it 17-3.After De'Von Lovelady's 65-yard kickoff return to the KWU 28 the defense dug in once again and stopped the Swedes on fourth down at the 34-yard line. Taylor promptly answered by sprinting 66 yards for a touchdown on the first play upping the lead to 24-3 with 9:19 left.Bethany (0-2) stalled on downs again at the KWU 34 on its next possession. The Coyotes responded with a 66-yard, 12-play drive – the final five yards a touchdown pass from Taylor to tight end&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/football/roster/ricardo-arias/8577">Ricardo Arias</a>&nbsp;with 1:46 left.Wesleyan finished with 300 yards rushing – 204 the second half."What we needed to do was run the ball with confidence and believe that we can do it," Myers said. "I know we had multiple offensive linemen play for us today which was fantastic. Obviously, we're lacking a downfield passing game but 300 yards rushing – we'll take it."Taylor admitted he was nervous at the start but you wouldn't have known it. After being stopped for no gain on the first play of the game he found an opening, burst into the open, and outran the defense en route to a 76-yard touchdown – two plays and 53 seconds into his Wesleyan career."I was a little nervous but ran the ball the first couple of plays and that helped get the jitters out," he said.The defense was magnificent from the get-go. One week after holding Evangel to 17 points – three in the second half – the Coyotes smothered Bethany's offense. The Swedes finished with 177 total yards on 72 plays, an average of 2.5 yards per play. They had just 35 yards rushing on 33 attempts and quarterbacks Peyton Mainofli and Landry Shields were a combined 16 of 39 passing for 142 yards.<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/football/roster/ricco-moore/8000">Ricco Moore</a>&nbsp;led the charge with nine tackles while&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/football/roster/quatama-massaquoi/8626">Quatama Massaquoi</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sports/football/roster/muhamad-abusharkh/8574">Muhamad Abusharkh</a>&nbsp;each had six. Massaquoi also had four pass breakups."My expectation is the defense is going to get a shutout every week," Myers said.Taylor was pleased with the bounce-back victory."We kind of turned things around today and hopefully can build off that in future weeks," he said.The Coyotes play Kessinger Division favorite Southwestern at 6 p.m. next Saturday in Winfield. The Moundbuilders defeated Avila 49-41 Saturday in Kansas City, Mo., fending off a late rally by the Eagles.

Coyote football pulls away late, knocks off Bethany 31-3

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HS Football: Week One Area Scoreboard 

Courtesy of Kansas State Athletics

MANHATTAN, Kan. - On a night that Kansas State celebrated its three Big 12 Conference title teams, the 16th-ranked Wildcats turned the page on their 2022 league championship with an emphatic 45-0 season-opening win over Southeast Missouri in front of a sellout crowd on a sizzling Saturday at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/will-howard/11107">Will Howard</a>&nbsp;threw for 297 yards and two touchdowns,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/dj-giddens/11102">DJ Giddens</a>&nbsp;rushed for 128 yards, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/rj-garcia-ii/11101">RJ Garcia II</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/ben-sinnott/11156">Ben Sinnott</a>&nbsp;each had 100-yard receiving performances, as the Wildcats dominated their first-ever meeting against the Redhawks, who entered ranked No. 11 in the FCS media poll.

"Coach (Chris) Klieman said after the game we only get 12 guaranteed opportunities," Howard said. "Whether we're playing Alabama or SEMO, it doesn't matter. We have to take care of business, and that's what we did. We can't take anybody lightly. SEMO is a good football team."

K-State marched to 588 total yards, its fifth-most offensive yards in history and most since a school-record 658 yards against North Texas in 2005. The Wildcats scored on five of their first six possessions and kept the Redhawks out of end zone, posting its most dominant shutout win since a 52-0 rout of Bowling Green in 2019.

K-State outrushed SEMO, 228-6, holding an opponent to its fewest rushing yards since allowing Texas A&amp;M -13 during a game in 2009. The Wildcats posted 11 tackles for loss, including four sacks of SEMO quarterback Paxton DeLaurent. It wasn't until midway through the third quarter that SEMO reached 200 total yards. 

"A shutout is so big," K-State linebacker&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/daniel-green/11104">Daniel Green</a>&nbsp;said. "That's what you want. That was our mindset. It was a really good first game."

It wasn't until midway through the third quarter that the Wildcats booted a field goal or punted the football, and by then all that was left to question was whether true freshman quarterback&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/avery-johnson/11172">Avery Johnson</a>&nbsp;would join the fun.

Johnson ended his first-ever drive at K-State with a four-yard touchdown run with 14 minutes, 30 seconds left in the game, capping an 8-play, 79-yard drive.

"He was under control and in command," Klieman said. "He's really, really fast, and I think you guys can tell that. He's got great, great speed."

While Johnson sent the student section into a frenzy, K-State sizzled from start to finish amid 100-degree temperatures that did little to slow down the Wildcats, who sent battalions of players onto the field and left nothing to question.

"There's nothing better than game reps because there are 52,000 people here and the lights are the brightest and everybody's eyes are on you, which is fun," Klieman said. "We played 77 players, and it's awesome."

The Wildcats were pretty awesome from the start.

Howard threw for 252 yards and two touchdowns, rushed for a score, and made an 8-yard touchdown reception in a dominant first half in which the Wildcats rolled to a 35-0 lead behind a lights-out offense and a defense that clamped down on the Redhawks on nearly every possession.

Howard fired a 33-yard touchdown pass to Ole Miss transfer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/jadon-jackson/11111">Jadon Jackson</a>, he and found Garcia II for a 37-yard score while also tucking the ball and racing around the left side 1 yard for another score, as the Wildcats raced to a 21-0 lead after 1 ½ quarters.

"We did a lot of good things," said Howard, who completed 18 of 27 passes for 297 yards and two touchdowns and one interception, while he rushed for another score in his first start in a season opener. "It's never going to be perfect, but the good thing is there's a lot to learn from and a lot of teaching moments we can take into the future."

K-State's crowd of 52,066 marked its largest attendance in a game since 2017 and the largest home-opening crowd in eight years. Fans roared as they witnessed the first K-State touchdown from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/treshaun-ward/11185">Treshaun Ward</a>&nbsp;from 3 yards out for a 28-0 advantage before a 43-yard scamper by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/dj-giddens/11102">DJ Giddens</a>&nbsp;highlighted a drive that offensive coordinator&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/collin-klein/1979">Collin Klein</a>&nbsp;capped with some razzle dazzle.

Facing first-and-goal at the 8-yard line, Howard pitched the ball to Ward then darted toward the Redhawks sideline. Ward wound back and threw the ball back to Howard, who caught the ball in the flat and raced down the sideline and into the end zone with 38 seconds left for a 35-0 score, adding a final statement to a near-perfect first half.

"We'd practiced it the whole week," Ward said, chuckling. "I had to make it happen. That was a surreal moment to throw a touchdown in your college career when you're a running back."

Garcia II had five catches for 119 yards and one touchdown and Sinnott had five catches for 100 yards.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/phillip-brooks/11087">Phillip Brooks</a>&nbsp;had six catches for 40 yards. In all, K-State quarterbacks found eight different pass catchers during the contest.

"I was excited to be out there playing with my guys and playing football against somebody other than my teammates," said Garcia II, whose performance included receptions of 44 and 37 yards. "It's a big confidence booster for me. My coaches believe in me and put a great game plan in. We all executed.

"Meanwhile, fans got a chance to see the rushing tandem of Giddens and Ward in action. Giddens, a sophomore, had 15 carries for 128 yards, spinning and churning his way through would-be tacklers, while elusive Ward made his yards behind brilliant speed and ankle-breaking moves in the open field. Ward, a senior Florida State transfer, had 11 carries for 56 yards and one touchdown.

"There were a whole bunch of opportunities for big plays, and we just have to execute," Giddens said. "I'm a lot more comfortable. It took me a couple plays to get hit a couple times and then I fell into a zone. This is going to be deadly, the one-two (punch), it's going to be deadly."

Shortly after&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/chris-tennant/11162">Chris Tennant</a>&nbsp;kicked a 51-yard field goal to make it 38-0, the Wildcats began inserting the remainder of their depth chart against the Redhawks, who were facing their second ranked Power 5 opponent in program history.

Meanwhile, on a night when K-State honored its Big 12 title teams, the Wildcats had a chance for an all-out celebration following its dominant win.

"Hopefully, we can do that again," Howard said, "and have the same ceremony next year."&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693741724929.jpeg" alt="(Will Howard/Courtesy Kansas State Athletics)" />
 <figcaption>(Will Howard/Courtesy Kansas State Athletics)</figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of Kansas State AthleticsMANHATTAN, Kan. - On a night that Kansas State celebrated its three Big 12 Conference title teams, the 16th-ranked Wildcats turned the page on their 2022 league championship with an emphatic 45-0 season-opening win over Southeast Missouri in front of a sellout crowd on a sizzling Saturday at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/will-howard/11107">Will Howard</a>&nbsp;threw for 297 yards and two touchdowns,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/dj-giddens/11102">DJ Giddens</a>&nbsp;rushed for 128 yards, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/rj-garcia-ii/11101">RJ Garcia II</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/ben-sinnott/11156">Ben Sinnott</a>&nbsp;each had 100-yard receiving performances, as the Wildcats dominated their first-ever meeting against the Redhawks, who entered ranked No. 11 in the FCS media poll."Coach (Chris) Klieman said after the game we only get 12 guaranteed opportunities," Howard said. "Whether we're playing Alabama or SEMO, it doesn't matter. We have to take care of business, and that's what we did. We can't take anybody lightly. SEMO is a good football team."K-State marched to 588 total yards, its fifth-most offensive yards in history and most since a school-record 658 yards against North Texas in 2005. The Wildcats scored on five of their first six possessions and kept the Redhawks out of end zone, posting its most dominant shutout win since a 52-0 rout of Bowling Green in 2019.K-State outrushed SEMO, 228-6, holding an opponent to its fewest rushing yards since allowing Texas A&amp;M -13 during a game in 2009. The Wildcats posted 11 tackles for loss, including four sacks of SEMO quarterback Paxton DeLaurent. It wasn't until midway through the third quarter that SEMO reached 200 total yards. "A shutout is so big," K-State linebacker&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/daniel-green/11104">Daniel Green</a>&nbsp;said. "That's what you want. That was our mindset. It was a really good first game." It wasn't until midway through the third quarter that the Wildcats booted a field goal or punted the football, and by then all that was left to question was whether true freshman quarterback&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/avery-johnson/11172">Avery Johnson</a>&nbsp;would join the fun.Mission accomplished. Johnson ended his first-ever drive at K-State with a four-yard touchdown run with 14 minutes, 30 seconds left in the game, capping an 8-play, 79-yard drive.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fjSdmw3E_1g?si=GABSB_vBe-zzqO4s" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>"He was under control and in command," Klieman said. "He's really, really fast, and I think you guys can tell that. He's got great, great speed."While Johnson sent the student section into a frenzy, K-State sizzled from start to finish amid 100-degree temperatures that did little to slow down the Wildcats, who sent battalions of players onto the field and left nothing to question."There's nothing better than game reps because there are 52,000 people here and the lights are the brightest and everybody's eyes are on you, which is fun," Klieman said. "We played 77 players, and it's awesome."The Wildcats were pretty awesome from the start.Howard threw for 252 yards and two touchdowns, rushed for a score, and made an 8-yard touchdown reception in a dominant first half in which the Wildcats rolled to a 35-0 lead behind a lights-out offense and a defense that clamped down on the Redhawks on nearly every possession.Howard fired a 33-yard touchdown pass to Ole Miss transfer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/jadon-jackson/11111">Jadon Jackson</a>, he and found Garcia II for a 37-yard score while also tucking the ball and racing around the left side 1 yard for another score, as the Wildcats raced to a 21-0 lead after 1 ½ quarters."We did a lot of good things," said Howard, who completed 18 of 27 passes for 297 yards and two touchdowns and one interception, while he rushed for another score in his first start in a season opener. "It's never going to be perfect, but the good thing is there's a lot to learn from and a lot of teaching moments we can take into the future."K-State's crowd of 52,066 marked its largest attendance in a game since 2017 and the largest home-opening crowd in eight years. Fans roared as they witnessed the first K-State touchdown from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/treshaun-ward/11185">Treshaun Ward</a>&nbsp;from 3 yards out for a 28-0 advantage before a 43-yard scamper by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/dj-giddens/11102">DJ Giddens</a>&nbsp;highlighted a drive that offensive coordinator&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/collin-klein/1979">Collin Klein</a>&nbsp;capped with some razzle dazzle.Facing first-and-goal at the 8-yard line, Howard pitched the ball to Ward then darted toward the Redhawks sideline. Ward wound back and threw the ball back to Howard, who caught the ball in the flat and raced down the sideline and into the end zone with 38 seconds left for a 35-0 score, adding a final statement to a near-perfect first half."We'd practiced it the whole week," Ward said, chuckling. "I had to make it happen. That was a surreal moment to throw a touchdown in your college career when you're a running back."Garcia II had five catches for 119 yards and one touchdown and Sinnott had five catches for 100 yards.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/phillip-brooks/11087">Phillip Brooks</a>&nbsp;had six catches for 40 yards. In all, K-State quarterbacks found eight different pass catchers during the contest."I was excited to be out there playing with my guys and playing football against somebody other than my teammates," said Garcia II, whose performance included receptions of 44 and 37 yards. "It's a big confidence booster for me. My coaches believe in me and put a great game plan in. We all executed."Meanwhile, fans got a chance to see the rushing tandem of Giddens and Ward in action. Giddens, a sophomore, had 15 carries for 128 yards, spinning and churning his way through would-be tacklers, while elusive Ward made his yards behind brilliant speed and ankle-breaking moves in the open field. Ward, a senior Florida State transfer, had 11 carries for 56 yards and one touchdown."There were a whole bunch of opportunities for big plays, and we just have to execute," Giddens said. "I'm a lot more comfortable. It took me a couple plays to get hit a couple times and then I fell into a zone. This is going to be deadly, the one-two (punch), it's going to be deadly."Shortly after&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/chris-tennant/11162">Chris Tennant</a>&nbsp;kicked a 51-yard field goal to make it 38-0, the Wildcats began inserting the remainder of their depth chart against the Redhawks, who were facing their second ranked Power 5 opponent in program history.Meanwhile, on a night when K-State honored its Big 12 title teams, the Wildcats had a chance for an all-out celebration following its dominant win."Hopefully, we can do that again," Howard said, "and have the same ceremony next year."&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏈 Howard makes history, as No. 16/17 K-State opens with shutout of SEMO

By AVERY OSEN Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Triston Casas hit a two-run homer and Alex Verdugo finished a homer short of hitting for the cycle as the Boston Red Sox beat the Kansas City Royals 9-5 on Saturday night.

Six Boston batters drove in a run and all but one Red Sox starter had a hit. Boston snapped a five-game skid with the win after allowing four runs for the 12th time in 13 games.

Tanner Houck (4-8) worked five innings and allowed four runs and seven hits while walking one and striking out five.

Royals starter Alec March (0-8) was knocked out of the game early after allowing six runs on seven hits. He walked two and struck out one in 2 ⅔ innings.

Kansas City has lost 11 of its last 13 games. The Royals haven't won a series since Aug. 3 and need a victory in the series finale on Sunday to end the skid.

The Red Sox capped a three-run first inning with Casas' two-run homer to right field. Boston had four extra-base hits in the inning. Cases went 2 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs scored.

MJ Melendez homered for Kansas City and Maikel Garcia, MJ Melendez, and Nelson Velazquez drove in runs.

Prior to the game, former manager Ned Yost was inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame. He led Kansas City to a World Series championship in 2015 and has the highest postseason winning percentage in MLB history.

Chris Sale (5-3, 4.75 ERA) will start for the Red Sox in the series finale on Sunday. The Royals have not announced a starter.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693708976512.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., left, forces out Boston Red Sox's Adam Duvall (18) at second and throws to first for the double play on a grounder by Boston's Masataka Yoshida during the sixth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., left, forces out Boston Red Sox's Adam Duvall (18) at second and throws to first for the double play on a grounder by Boston's Masataka Yoshida during the sixth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)</figcaption>
 </figure>By AVERY OSEN Associated PressKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Triston Casas hit a two-run homer and Alex Verdugo finished a homer short of hitting for the cycle as the Boston Red Sox beat the Kansas City Royals 9-5 on Saturday night.Six Boston batters drove in a run and all but one Red Sox starter had a hit. Boston snapped a five-game skid with the win after allowing four runs for the 12th time in 13 games.Tanner Houck (4-8) worked five innings and allowed four runs and seven hits while walking one and striking out five.Royals starter Alec March (0-8) was knocked out of the game early after allowing six runs on seven hits. He walked two and struck out one in 2 ⅔ innings.Kansas City has lost 11 of its last 13 games. The Royals haven't won a series since Aug. 3 and need a victory in the series finale on Sunday to end the skid.The Red Sox capped a three-run first inning with Casas' two-run homer to right field. Boston had four extra-base hits in the inning. Cases went 2 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs scored.MJ Melendez homered for Kansas City and Maikel Garcia, MJ Melendez, and Nelson Velazquez drove in runs.YOST TO THE HALL OF FAMEPrior to the game, former manager Ned Yost was inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame. He led Kansas City to a World Series championship in 2015 and has the highest postseason winning percentage in MLB history.UP NEXTChris Sale (5-3, 4.75 ERA) will start for the Red Sox in the series finale on Sunday. The Royals have not announced a starter.

⚾ Cases' homer, Verdugo’s 3 hits lead the Red Sox to win over the Royals

The Sacred Heart football team dropped their season opener at Wichita Trinity on Friday night by a final score of 36-26.

Sacred Heart jumped out to an early 13-0 lead in the battle of the Knights, but a 67-yard touchdown pass from Harvey Zimmerman to Donald Collier got Trinity on the board with some momentum.

After a successful Knights field goal, Zimmerman once again found a target deep, this time to Braden Roberts from 58 yards out early in the third quarter to cut the Sacred Heart lead to five.

The Salina unit would answer with another score to re-extend the lead but a late pile of points helped Trinity to pull ahead and pull off the late comeback win.

Sacred Heart will be on the road again in week two when they travel to Minneapolis.

The Sacred Heart football team dropped their season opener at Wichita Trinity on Friday night by a final score of 36-26.Sacred Heart jumped out to an early 13-0 lead in the battle of the Knights, but a 67-yard touchdown pass from Harvey Zimmerman to Donald Collier got Trinity on the board with some momentum.After a successful Knights field goal, Zimmerman once again found a target deep, this time to Braden Roberts from 58 yards out early in the third quarter to cut the Sacred Heart lead to five.The Salina unit would answer with another score to re-extend the lead but a late pile of points helped Trinity to pull ahead and pull off the late comeback win.Sacred Heart will be on the road again in week two when they travel to Minneapolis.

Sacred Heart Falls to Wichita Trinity

LAWRENCE, Kan. Kansas scored six touchdowns, including four on the ground by four different running backs, as the Jayhawks defeated Missouri State 48-17 in the season opener at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium&nbsp;on Friday night.

Kansas quarterback Jason Bean threw for 276 yards on 22-of-28 passing and tossed two touchdowns, while running backs Devin Neal, Dylan McDuffie, Daniel Hishaw Jr., and Sevion Morrison each scored on the ground. The Jayhawks totaled 521 total yards of offense, marking the eighth time Kansas has gone over 500 yards of offense in a game in the Lance Leipold era.

The Jayhawks jumped out to a 7-0 lead on a Neal 48-yard run, which was Neal's first carry of the game. Neal has now scored on his first touch in back-to-back seasons (2021 vs. Tennessee Tech), becoming the first FBS running back since at least 2012 to accomplish such a feat.

Missouri State marched back after Kansas turned the ball over on a fumble, as the Bears got their first score of the game on a 2-yard pass from quarterback Jacob Clark to Jmariyae Robinson. The Bears would later convert on a field goal to make the score 10-7, in favor of Missouri State.

Kansas answered on its next drive by going 75 yards on three plays, which ended in a 14-yard touchdown pass from Bean to Luke Grimm. Kansas would add a field goal from Seth Keller before the half to make it 17-10 at the break.

The Jayhawks pushed the lead to 27-10 in the third quarter, thanks to a 17-yard rushing touchdown from Dylan McDuffie on his first carry as a Jayhawk, and another field goal from Keller. Missouri State’s Robinson added a second touchdown run to trim the lead to 27-17, but Kansas took advantage of two interceptions in the final quarter of play. The Jayhawks would close out the Bears with three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to move to 1-0 on the season.

Kansas returns home to David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium&nbsp;on Friday, Sept. 8&nbsp;to host Illinois&nbsp;at 6:30 p.m.&nbsp;on ESPN2.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693662913635.jpeg" alt="KU Athletics Photo" />
 <figcaption>KU Athletics Photo</figcaption>
 </figure> LAWRENCE, Kan. Kansas scored six touchdowns, including four on the ground by four different running backs, as the Jayhawks defeated Missouri State 48-17 in the season opener at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium&nbsp;on Friday night.Kansas quarterback Jason Bean threw for 276 yards on 22-of-28 passing and tossed two touchdowns, while running backs Devin Neal, Dylan McDuffie, Daniel Hishaw Jr., and Sevion Morrison each scored on the ground. The Jayhawks totaled 521 total yards of offense, marking the eighth time Kansas has gone over 500 yards of offense in a game in the Lance Leipold era.The Jayhawks jumped out to a 7-0 lead on a Neal 48-yard run, which was Neal's first carry of the game. Neal has now scored on his first touch in back-to-back seasons (2021 vs. Tennessee Tech), becoming the first FBS running back since at least 2012 to accomplish such a feat.Missouri State marched back after Kansas turned the ball over on a fumble, as the Bears got their first score of the game on a 2-yard pass from quarterback Jacob Clark to Jmariyae Robinson. The Bears would later convert on a field goal to make the score 10-7, in favor of Missouri State.Kansas answered on its next drive by going 75 yards on three plays, which ended in a 14-yard touchdown pass from Bean to Luke Grimm. Kansas would add a field goal from Seth Keller before the half to make it 17-10 at the break.The Jayhawks pushed the lead to 27-10 in the third quarter, thanks to a 17-yard rushing touchdown from Dylan McDuffie on his first carry as a Jayhawk, and another field goal from Keller. Missouri State’s Robinson added a second touchdown run to trim the lead to 27-17, but Kansas took advantage of two interceptions in the final quarter of play. The Jayhawks would close out the Bears with three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to move to 1-0 on the season.Kansas returns home to David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium&nbsp;on Friday, Sept. 8&nbsp;to host Illinois&nbsp;at 6:30 p.m.&nbsp;on ESPN2.

Kansas Wins Season Opener Against Missouri State

BY SALINA POST The Kansas Wesleyan broadcast of Saturday’s game will be available locally on KINA 910 AM/107.5 FM

Tyler Henry has the call. The live stream video broadcast can be viewed <a href="https://kcacnetwork.com/kansaswesleyan/">here</a>

In an effort to avoid issues with Saturday's weather forecast, officials at Kansas Wesleyan University have changed the game time for football's contest with Bethany College.&nbsp;

The game will now kick-off at 10 a.m. at Gene Bissell Field at JRI Stadium at the Graves Family Sports Complex.&nbsp;

"Looking at the weather forecast, keeping the health and safety of all the involved student-athletes in mind, and consulting with our athletic training staff, we made the decision to move the game to the morning," said Kansas Wesleyan Athletic Director Miguel Paredes.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691416010742.jpeg" alt="KWU" />
 <figcaption>KWU</figcaption>
 </figure>BY SALINA POST The Kansas Wesleyan broadcast of Saturday’s game will be available locally on KINA 910 AM/107.5 FMTyler Henry has the call. The live stream video broadcast can be viewed <a href="https://kcacnetwork.com/kansaswesleyan/">here</a>In an effort to avoid issues with Saturday's weather forecast, officials at Kansas Wesleyan University have changed the game time for football's contest with Bethany College.&nbsp;The game will now kick-off at 10 a.m. at Gene Bissell Field at JRI Stadium at the Graves Family Sports Complex.&nbsp;"Looking at the weather forecast, keeping the health and safety of all the involved student-athletes in mind, and consulting with our athletic training staff, we made the decision to move the game to the morning," said Kansas Wesleyan Athletic Director Miguel Paredes.